48 Hours in Leeuwarden: A DINK Weekend in Friesland
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links, which means I may earn a commission if you click on a link and make a purchase. Please note that all opinions are my own and I only share experiences that I’ve tried and genuinely recommend.
One of the underrated perks of being a dual-income, no-kids couple is being able to take spontaneous weekend trips without overplanning every minute. Another perk? Living in the Netherlands, a country so small that no weekend trip is ever too far away.
Just two hours from Amsterdam by train, Leeuwarden offers exactly the kind of escape we love: beautiful canals, excellent restaurants, walkable streets, interesting museums, and enough to do without ever feeling rushed.
If you're unfamiliar, Leeuwarden is the historic capital of the northern Dutch province of Friesland. It's filled with some of the friendliest people you could ever hope to meet. Add its accessibility (the train drops you right in the city center), great dining and shopping, museums, and fewer crowds than Amsterdam, and it's the perfect size for a 48-hour getaway.
The kind folks at Visit Leeuwarden put together a custom itinerary for us, and honestly, we wouldn't change a thing. So if you're looking for an easy weekend away from Amsterdam with good food, a walkable city center, and plenty to do without packing your schedule, feel free to steal our itinerary.
Day 1: Arriving and Settling Into the Slow Pace
Visitor Center Welcome
Again, I can’t stress enough how friendly the people of Leeuwarden are. And the friendliest of all? The staff at the Visitor Center. It’s super central and convenient, so make a point to swing by, collect some maps, have a chat, and get yourself oriented to the city.
Hotel Check-In
We had the pleasure of staying at Hotel Vie Via in one of their apartment-style rooms. Newly opened in 2025, it’s centrally located in a former telecommunications and administrative building. It features 74 rooms and has adopted completely digital access. Just opening the digital key on my phone and being close to the door unlocked it! Magic. They also have beautiful communal spaces where you can enjoy your morning yogurt bowl, fresh pastry, organic juice, and tea or coffee (because breakfast is included!).
Explore other stays in Leeuwarden below.
Lunch at ROAST
ROAST was the first restaurant on the itinerary, and kicking off the trip with lunch here set the bar high. It’s a restaurant and cocktail bar 0n the Nieuwestad - a lively canal-side street lined with shops, cafés, and sunny terraces. Often those terraces are on a canal boat (ROAST has one!). Think of the Nieuwestad as the main promenade of the city.
Unfortunately the weather wasn’t on our side at the start of the trip, so the boat terrace was out of the question. Fortunately, the interior of the restaurant is gorgeous and super spacious. We asked the waitress what she recommended from the menu and she did not steer us wrong. The Jalapeño- Cheddar Hotdog, Bun Krokante Kip, and Parmesan Truffle Fries were all delicious. It was feeling a little early to get on the drink, but the mocktail I had was also noteworthy. I love passionfruit and I love mango - so I can’t actually remember which of these two I went for: Aloha 0.0 (elderflower, citrus, sparkling mango) or Drunk in love 0.0 (passion fruit, citrus, pink grapefruit).
Once we were fueled up and ready to explore, it was off to the Fries Museum. Did I momentarily think that that was a museum dedicated to the side dish we all know and love? Yes. Should I admit that? Perhaps not.
The Fries Museum is actually the place to go to get a feel for Friesland’s story, and it does a great job of setting the tone for the city. It blends art, history, and local culture in a way that feels really accessible, from legendary figures like Mata Hari (more on her later) to rotating contemporary exhibitions. When I visited, there was even a graffiti takeover happening. You walk into a large space where upbeat music is playing and graffiti art is being created in real time.
The museum is housed in a beautiful, modern building right in the city center, so you really can’t miss it. It is also on the Museumkaart should you own one, and otherwise costs €17.50/pp.
Dinner at Garage Modern
Another gem of a restaurant, Garage Modern, as the name implies, is housed in a former garage. The feel is a bit industrial, but also warm and modern. Think disco balls, high ceilings, marquee signs, and candles. The menu sits somewhere between modern European and comfort-led sharing plates, with quite a few Italian-inspired touches. We opted to share some starters - the carpaccio, burrata, and green salad (insalata verde). For mains, the cannelloni and the spaghetti a la polpette, and for dessert, what’s listed as “sinaasappel” - which was creamy orange ice cream served in the frozen skin of an orange. For any fellow Americans out there, it tasted exactly like a creamsicle. Heavenly. Check out my Instagram highlight for a vibe check.
Cocktails at Dr. Watson
The perfect nightcap can be found in Leeuwarden’s first speakeasy-style bar - Dr. Watson. You step down into a moody, underground space that feels like a nod to the 1920s, with dim lighting and a real sense of stepping into something you weren’t meant to easily find. But the 1920s would be recent in this building’s history - you can still see original structural details in parts of the interior that hint at the centuries’ old past.
The focus here is all about cocktails done properly - there are classic recipes, creative signatures, and bartenders who clearly know their craft. Atmosphere-wise, it leans intimate and a little mysterious, but still warm and social. It’s more “hidden gem for a long night of conversation” than loud night-out bar - there’s even a pile of games that you can dive into for a low-key night.
Day 2: History, Canals and Great Food
Day two was a busy one, and it all started with breakfast at Hotel Vie Via. We brought the vouchers we found in our room downstairs to collect our previously mentioned yogurt bowl, tea or coffee, juice, and pastry, then brought it over into the common room to eat. The area gives cozy living room vibes more than anything, and is a great spot to start the day in a relaxing way.
A Guide to Leeuwarden Walking Tour
Promptly at 10:00 AM our guide Zenon met us outside of the hotel for a 90 minute walking tour featuring some of the city’s major highlights. When I tell you that this man is an EXCELLENT storyteller - he took the history of Leeuwarden and made it a truly fascinating thing to listen to. Our first stop was over to the Grand Café Post-Plaza - a former post office and a place with some crazy WWII history. I won’t ruin the story - but let’s just say that the Germans intended to destroy that building, and the reason why it’s still standing is quite the tale.
Afterwards, we took to the streets, stopping to admire various works of art. Leeuwarden has a surprisingly strong street art scene, with the city functioning almost like an open-air gallery. Beyond the historic facades, you’ll find large-scale murals from international artists (check out @writersblockmurals on Instagram), smaller hidden pieces tucked into side streets, and even painted utility boxes and garage doors. A mapped-out street art route ties it all together - you can find the map at the visitor center.
Had it not been for the walking tour, we never would have wandered into Binnentuin Sint Antony Gasthuis - one of Leeuwarden’s oldest charitable housing complexes that in June was bursting with flowers along the beautiful fences.
Another thing we never would have realized? That the city is home to a plethora of “miniatures” - little, truly tiny, figurines tucked into all kinds of nooks and crannies around the city. Photo below and coin for scale. This was amusing for us as adults - so I can only imagine how much fun it would be to hunt for these miniatures with kids. Again, there’s a map to help you find them - and I think you’re probably going to need it if you want to spot any!
Lunch at Sophias
By lunchtime, we’d worked up an appetite, and popped into Sophias, just beside the train station. It’s a modern all-day bistro with a relaxed menu and a nice, open feel inside, plus a city garden terrace that looks like it would be perfect in good weather… which unfortunately wasn’t on our side when we visited. Still, it works just as well indoors for a laid-back lunch or coffee break without any rush. I can personally vouch for the burger - I have an irresistible craving for carbs when I’m really and truly hungry and this one hit the spot.
Afternoon Coffee at Toon Luisterbar
After a little bit of aimless wandering, we landed at Toon Luisterbar - a new-ish concept spot right off of the Nieuwestad and close to the Visitor Center. It’s a hybrid coffee and vinyl listening bar where you can sip and flip through their record selection, and even pop one on to listen to under the disco ball. Honestly, one of our favorite parts of the trip wasn't a major attraction - it was simply taking time for a drink without needing to rush to the next thing.
Echoes of Mata Hari
If you’re interested in celebrating 150 years of Leeuwarden’s most famous resident, you might want to swing by Echoes of Mata Hari. It’s an immersive light installation hosted in the home she was born in. If you’re unfamiliar, she was a Dutch exoctic dancer and courtesan accused of spying for Germany and executed by France during World War I. It’s free to visit and only takes 15 minutes - just be sure to book a time slot online as the room only fits ten or so people.
Dinner at Aragosta
Alright friends, this was the crème de la crème of our Leeuwarden dining experiences, and a great way to close out the trip. Bistro Aragosta is recognized by the Michelin Guide with a Bib Gourmand distinction, awarded to restaurants offering high-quality cooking at good value. It’s this balance - refined, seasonal dishes without the formality of fine dining - that has earned it a strong reputation both locally and in food guides like Gault & Millau. We enjoyed a delicious 6-course menu with wine pairing, and I’d say the vibe inside is intimate and slightly elevated, but still warm and unfussy. More “long, slow dinner with wine” than anything overly formal - and I’d take that over fine dining any day. My video content shows this place off best - so check out this Instagram highlight for the full experience.
And finally, there are a few things we didn’t get to do that you absolutely should:
Climb the Odlehove. It’s one of Leeuwarden's most recognizable landmarks - an unfinished church tower that dates back to 1529. It began leaning while it was still being built, and construction was eventually abandoned. It's even said to lean more than the Tower of Pisa. Unfortunately, it was wrapped in scaffolding during our visit and the opening hours never aligned with our schedule, so we'll have to save climbing it for next time.
Hop on a a canal cruise. The rain put a damper on our original plan, but you should 100% do a canal cruise if the weather permits. No matter what city I’m in, if there’s a canal cruise on offer, I want on it. Seeing a city from the water is such a unique perspective and typically comes with a history lesson on the side as well. You can also cruise around on your own (no boating license required) with Bootverhuur Bonkevaart.
To wrap things up here - if your ideal weekend involves sleeping in, lingering over coffee, taking a canal cruise, enjoying an excellent dinner, and wandering beautiful streets without fighting crowds, Leeuwarden might be one of the most underrated city breaks in the Netherlands. If you have any questions about our visit, feel free to leave them in the comments below and I’ll do my best to get back to you!
